In most of Mexico, the words estilo Ensenada signify just one thing: fish tacos. Specifically the fried-fish tacos served at stalls in the fish market down by the docks. In East L.A., you will come no closer to the ideal than these crunchy, sizzlingly hot strips of batter-fried halibut folded into warm corn tortillas with salsa, shredded cabbage and a squeeze of lime, sprinkled with freshly chopped herbs and finished with a squirt of thick, cultured cream. Entire religions have been founded on miracles less profound than the Ensenada fish taco.

Get the Things to Do Newsletter

Sign up for our weekly guide to events in Los Angeles, and never be bored again. With suggestions for every day of the week, our recommendations will keep you busy on any budget.

Related Stories (8)

If there’s one thing most Angelenos can agree on, it’s tacos. Yes, they’re delicious. Yes, our city has the best ones outside of Mexico. And yes, we want some right now. Taco stands, taco trucks and taquerias are so ubiquitous here,...

What the hell is going on with this summer? It was triple digits for weeks on end in MAY, for chrissakes. And we can expect it to continue to hit those kinds of highs for months still to come. We don't know about you, but we o...

It used to be, a dozen years ago or so, that there weren't that many spots in town where you could find a decent seafood taco, much less a great one. Fast forward to 2012, and fish and shrimp tacos have gone through something of an ...

Why is Tacos Baja Ensenada still on this list? Isn't it time to switch allegiances to Ricky's, or Taco Nazo, to the Best Fish Taco in Ensenada, or to any of the hundred other places that have learned how to make this glorious dish? ...